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' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-She.gt 1.

E. BROMBAGHER.

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE. I No: 543,979. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

WITNESSESZ 54 %M% INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sn eetsSheet 2 E. BROMBACHER. DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

R O T N E V m ATTORNEYS WLTNESSES'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL BROMBACHER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN EIMER, OF SAME PLACE.

DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,979, dated August 6, 1 895. Application filed April 8, 1895. Serial No. 544,896- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: of the sliding bolts b b, the means shown in Be it known that I, EMIL BROMBACHER, a the drawings consisting of weights D, guided citizen of the United States, residing at Bufin upright tubes or casing D, and connected falo, in the county of Erie and State of New by cords d with arms d, secured to the upper 5 5 York, have invented a new and useful Im' portions of the doors neartheir meeting edges. provement in Door- Operating Devices, of The cords 01 pass over the usual guide-pulwhich the following is a specification. leys d 7 This invention relates more especially to The closing devices of the doors are exactly the door-operating mechanisms which are emalike, and a description of one will therefore 60 I ployed for closing the doors of engine-houses suffice for both.

afterthe engine or other apparatus has passed E is a rotary horizontal drum journaled at out. the upper end of a standard F, and g is a cord My invention has for its object to provide or cable wound upon saiddrum and extendan efficient device of this class which is reliing upward over guide-pulleys h h arranged 6- r able in operation and which can be readily reon the front wall of the engine-house above set after closing the door. the upper edgeof the door, thence around the In the accompanying drawings, consisting front side of a similarguide-pulley h arof two sheets, Figure 1 is a sectional front eleranged on said wall opposite the fixed arm 01 vation of my improved apparatus applied to of the door, and thence to said arm, to which 70 the doors of an engine-house. Fig. 2 is a-seclatter the cord is secured. A weight 71 is preftional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of crab] y suspended from the portion of the cord theactuating-cylinders and connecting parts. 9 between the guide-pulleys h h, so as to take Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.4 up theslack of the same when the door is is ahorizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. 2, showclosed, and thereby prevent entanglement of 7 5 2 5 ing the spring-catches in the position in which the cord. One end of the dru m-shaft e is made they arrest the descent of the actuating-pissquare or flat sided, as shown, to enable it to ton. Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the be turned bya crank having a corresponding catches retracted for releasing said piston. socket.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts J is an upright actuatingcylinder suitably 80 3c in the several figures. supported above the drum E and containing A A represent the hinged doors of an ena piston or plunger K. This piston is conginehouse, and b b represent the usual nected to the upper end of a gear-rack L, spring bolts or latches arranged at the top which extends downward through the open and bottom of one of the doors for holding the lower end of the actuatingcylinder and 8 5 3 5 same in a closed position. These bolts may meshes with a pinion m secured to the shaft be operated in any common manner, but they of the rotary drum. The lower portion of are preferably operated simultaneously from this gear-rack is guided in an upright way or an oscillating-lever c pivoted centrally to the groove Z formed in the standard F, as shown inner side of the door which carries the bolts, in Fig. 2. 9o and having its arms connected with the bolts N is a spring arranged within the actuatby rods 0', so that upon turning the lever in ing-cylinder and tending to force the piston one or the other direction the bolts are re downward in the cylinder, so as to cause the tracted or projected. The lever c has an acturack-bar to turn the pinion of the rotary drum ating-arm 0 which is operated by a cord 0 and wind the cord g upon the latter for clos- 9 5 5 extending over guidepulleys c c and 0", aring the door. This spring is interposed beranged on the adjacent door and the ceiling tween the upper side of the piston and a fo1- of the engine-house and terminatingin a hanlower or adjustable head 0 arranged in the dle, which hangs within convenient reachof upper portion of the cylinder. This follower the driver when seated on the engine. is provided with an upwardly-extending adrow The doors are provided with any suitable justing-screw 0, which engages with an inmeans for opening them upon the withdrawal ternally screw-threaded opening formed in the cap or head of the actuating-cylinder, and which is provided at its projecting end with a hand-wheel 0 for turning it. By turning the adjusting-screw in one or the other direction the follower is raised or lowered and the tension of the spring is diminished or increased accordingly. The piston preferably consists of a tube open at its upper end and closed at its lower end and inclosing the spring, as shown in Fig. 2.

19 represents movable steps or catches wherebythe piston is held in its elevated po sition against the pressure of the spring. In the construction shown in the drawings these catches consist of horizontal bolts which are adapted to pass through openings 19 formed in diametrically-opposite sides of the actuating-cylinder, so as to project into the path of the piston, as shown in Fig. 2. bolts are carried by spring-arms q, arranged on opposite sides of the cylinder and secured at their rear portions to a lug Q projecting from the rear side of the cylinder, while their front portions are free to expand or contract. These springs yieldingly hold the stop-bolts in engagement with the piston.

The spring-arms are guided between horizontal flanges q formed on the adjacent portion of the actuating-cylinder, and they are preferably bent from a single strip of springmetal, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

R is a releasing device whereby the free front portions of the spring-arms are spread or expanded for drawing the stop-bolts out of engagement with the piston, so as to permit the depression of the latter by the co1npressed spring. This releasing device preferably consists of an oscillatory cam interposed between the free ends of the springarms q and turning upon a horizontal pivot r secured to the front side of the cylinder. This cam is provided on opposite sides of its pivot with cam-faces 0', which bear against inwardly-turned lips or flanges g formed at the front ends of the spring-arms, so that upon turning the cam in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 the arms are spread or deflected outward suificiently to withdraw the bolts clear of the piston, as shown in Fig. 5, while upon turning the cam in the opposite direction, so as to bring the small radius of its faces in contact with the lips of the springarrns, the latter are allowed to contract to the position shown in the remaining figures.

The releasing-cam is provided with an actuating arm which is operated by a cord s, extending upward therefrom and passing around guide-pulleys s, s, and 8 arranged on the ceiling of the engine-house and terminating near the door of the engine-house and within convenient reach of the fireman or other attendant stationed on the rear of the engine, so that the fireman can operate said cord as the engine leaves the house. The free end of the cam-operating cord 3, connected with the door-closing device of the other door A, is fastened to the depending The stop-' portion of the corresponding cord first mentioned, as shown at .9 so that both of said cords are operated simultaneously.

\Vhen the doors are closed, the door-opening weights D are elevated in a well-known manner, as shown in Fig. l. The door-closing devices are placed in their normal operative position by turning the drum-shafts in the proper direction to cause the pinions m to raise the rack-bars L and the pistons connected therewith, so as to compress the springs N. As soon as the pistons pass upward beyond the stopsor catches p the latter are forced inward by the reaction of the dcfiected spring-arms q and caused to engage with the pistons, thereby arresting the descent of the latter. During the ascent of the pistons, the latter hold the catches p in their retracted position, and the cams R stand in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby the spring-arms q are allowed to contract as soon as the pistons pass the catches. By the backward movement of the rotary drums, the cords g are partly unwound therefrom and the slack is taken up by the weights 1', as shown by full lines in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to leave the enginehouse, the driver pulls the bolt-operating cord thereby withdrawing the holtsl) b, and allowing the weights D to open the doors in a well-known manner, the slack in the doorclosing cords g permitting the doors to open and the weights 11 hung thereon being raised to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l by the taking up of this slack. As the engine passes through the door the fireman pulls the cam-releasing cord 5, whereby the cams R are turned and caused to expand the spring-arm q, thereby withdrawing the catches p and allowing the springs N to depress the pistons of the actuating cylinders. The rack-bars L taking part in the descent of the pistons turn the rotary drums through the medium of the pinions m, thereby winding the cords 9 upon the drums and closing the doors.

The springs N are tensioned sulliciently to overcome the door-opening weights D.

Upon releasing the operating-cords of the cams R the spring-arms (1 return the cams to their normal position.

Upon returning to the engine-house the fireman or other attendant enters the same through the usual small or side door, resets the door'closing devices in the manner hereinbefore described, and then opens the main doors.

The tubular piston should be made of such a length that its upper portion extends above the catches p when the piston is in its lowermost position, so as to prevent the catches from engaging over the upper end of the piston.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a rotary drum and a door-operating cord wound thereon, of an actuating cylinder and piston, a pressure de- ICC) vice operating against said piston, intermediate gearing whereby the movement of the piston is transmitted to said drum, a catch whereby said piston is held in its normal position, and a releasing device whereby said catch is withdrawn from engagement with the piston, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with ahorizontally movable door, of a rotary drum having a pinion, a guide roller arranged above the drum, a door-operating cord having one end secured to said drum, passing upward and laterally over said guide roller and having its opposite end connected with the door, an actuating cylinder and piston, a pressure device operating against said piston, a gear rack connected with said piston and meshing with the pinion of the drum, and a catch whereby said piston is held in its normal position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a rotary drum and a door-operating cord wound thereon, of an actuating cylinder and piston, a spring arranged in said cylinder and bearing at one end against said piston, an adjustable head or follower bearing against the opposite end of said spring, intermediate gearing whereby the movement of said piston is transmitted to said drum, and a catch whereby the piston is held in its normal position, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a rotary drum and a door-operating cord wound thereon, of an actuating cylinder and piston, intermediate gearing connecting said piston with said drum, a spring arm carrying a catch adapted to interlock with said piston, and a releasing cam engaging against said spring arm, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a rotary drum and a door-operating cord wound thereon, of an actuating cylinder and piston, a pressure device operating against said piston, intermediate gearing connecting said piston with said drum, a spring arm carrying a catch adapted to interlock with said piston, a releasing cam engaging against said spring arm and having an actuating arm, and an operating cord connected with said actuating arm and passing around suitably-arrangedguide pulleys, substantially as set forth;

Witness my hand this 28th day of March, 1895.

EMIL BROMBAOHER.

' Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, KATHRYN ELMORE. 

